Snow melting device

Abstract

To provide a snow melting device which is easy to install and low in running cost.SOLUTION: The snow melting device includes a sheet-like or plate-like snow melting member and an LED light source arranged on the lower surface side of the snow melting member at a predetermined distance, and melts snow cover on the upper surface side by warming the snow melting member with light emitted from the LED light source. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a snow-melting system that is easy to install and low in running cost. In addition, since the snow-melting member has water permeability, hydrophilicity, or water absorbability, it is possible to promote removal or evaporation of water generated by melting of snow, and it is possible to more efficiently melt snow.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a snow melting device. [Background technology]

[0002] In regions where there is a lot of snowfall in winter, measures to prevent snow accumulation on roofs are taken by laying hot water pipes or electric heating wires on roof panels to melt the snow (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-197913 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-186826 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, installing hot water pipes and electric heating wires on the roof requires piping and wiring work, which is costly. Also, because snow can only be melted near heating elements such as pipes, it is necessary to densely install pipes and heaters to increase the output of boilers and power sources, which results in high installation and running costs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a snow melting device that is easy to install and has low running costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The above problems can be solved by the invention having the following configuration. [1] A snow melting device comprising a sheet-shaped or plate-shaped snow melting material and an LED light source arranged a predetermined distance away from the underside of the snow melting material, characterized in that the snow melting material is heated by the light emitted from the LED light source, thereby melting the snow on the upper side. [2] The snow melting device according to [1], wherein the snow melting member is water permeable. [3] The snow melting device according to [1], wherein the snow melting member is water-absorbent or hydrophilic. [4] The snow melting device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the predetermined distance is 50 to 300 mm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The snow melting device of the present invention uses light from an LED light source to heat the underside of a sheet- or plate-shaped snow melting element that covers the area to be melted, such as a roof, thereby melting the snow accumulated on the upper surface of the snow melting element. Because the light heats a wide area, there is no need to densely install hot water piping as in the past, making installation easy. Furthermore, the use of low-power LED light sources means that running costs are low. Furthermore, the water permeability of the snow-melting material allows the water produced by melting snow to be quickly removed, preventing heat from being wasted by heating the water produced, and enabling efficient snow melting with reduced running costs. Furthermore, if the snow-melting material is water-absorbent or hydrophilic, the water generated when the snow melts will spread out rather than remaining in place, which will promote evaporation of the water and allow for more efficient snow melting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a snow melting device of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a snow melting device made up of a water-permeable snow melting material. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a snow melting device made up of a snow melting material having hydrophilic properties. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention is a snow melting device that is installed to cover the area where snow is to be melted, such as the roof of a building, and is easier to install and has lower running costs than conventional snow melting devices that use hot water piping or electric heaters. [Example]

[0009] The snow melting device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows an example in which a snow melting device 10 of the present invention is installed on a typical folded-plate roof 30 made of long steel plates or the like, which are formed into an uneven shape by successively folds in peaks and valleys.

[0010] The snow melting device 10 of the present invention includes a snow melting member 12 and an LED light source 14 disposed on the underside 12b of the snow melting member 12 at a predetermined distance D from the underside 12b of the snow melting member.

[0011] The snow melting members 12 are sheet- or plate-shaped members that are heated by light from the LED light sources 14 and melt the snow on their upper surfaces. The snow melting members 12 are laid out so as to cover the area where snow is to be melted. In Fig. 1, the snow melting members 12 are installed so as to span multiple peaks 32a on the upper surface of the folded-plate roof 30.

[0012] The snow melting member 12 is made of a sheet-like or plate-like material such as woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, knitted fabric, or film, and its thickness is preferably approximately 1 to 10 mm. Various materials can be used for the snow melting member 12, including synthetic resins such as polyester, polypropylene, and polycarbonate, metal, and glass. These sheet-like or plate-like materials can be used alone or in layers. For example, the snow melting member 12 is constructed by layering a sheet such as nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, or film on the top surface of a plate-like material made of synthetic resin such as polycarbonate.

[0013] It is preferable to select the material and color of the snow melting member 12 so that it easily absorbs the light from the LED light source 14. For example, if a visible light LED light source is used, the snow melting member 12 should be black, and if an infrared LED light source is used, the snow melting member 12 should be made of a synthetic resin that easily absorbs infrared rays, or a synthetic resin mixed with a known infrared absorbing agent.

[0014] Furthermore, the snow melting member 12 may be configured with a coating of paint on its surface in order to improve the snow melting efficiency. For example, by coating the surface of the snow melting member 12 with a light-absorbing paint, it is possible to efficiently absorb the light from the LED light source and melt the snow. Furthermore, by coating the surface of the snow melting member 12 with a thermally conductive paint, it is possible to efficiently transfer the heat of the snow melting member 12 and melt the snow. Known paints can be used for these purposes.

[0015] The LED light source 14 is installed below the underside 12b of the snow-melting member 12 and irradiates light L onto the snow-melting member 12 to heat it. The LED light source 14 shown in FIG. 1 is a strip-shaped LED light source with multiple LEDs arranged at a predetermined interval on a flexible substrate. It is arranged along the valley 30b on the upper surface of the folded-plate roof 30 with its light-emitting surface facing the snow-melting member 12. The LED light source 14 is installed a predetermined distance D from the underside of the snow-melting member 12. If the distance D is too close, the snow-melting member 12 cannot be heated widely; if it is too far, the illumination intensity is low and the snow-melting member 12 cannot be sufficiently heated. For example, if the snow-melting member 12 is made of black polyester nonwoven fabric and the LED light source 14 is a strip-shaped white LED with an input voltage of DC 12V, a power consumption of approximately 4.8 W / m, and approximately 60 LEDs per m, and they are arranged in parallel with a spacing W of 150 to 300 mm, the predetermined distance D is appropriately 50 to 300 mm. In the case of the above configuration, the power consumption of the snow melting device of the present invention is 1 m2 of the area of ​​the snow melting member (where snow is to be melted). 2 It is about 20 to 40W per

[0016] The LED light source 14 can be in various known shapes, such as the tape-like shape described above or a strip-like shape. The wavelength of the emitted light can also vary, including ultraviolet light, visible light, and infrared light. As described above, selecting the color and material of the snow-melting member 12 so that it can absorb light of each wavelength will enable more efficient snow melting.

[0017] When the LED light source 14 is turned on in the snow melting device of the present invention configured as described above, light from the LED light source 14 is irradiated onto the underside of the snow melting member 12, which absorbs the irradiated light and is heated. As a result, the snow 40 accumulated on the upper surface of the snow melting member 12 melts.

[0018] In this way, because the energy required for snow melting is transmitted to the snow melting element mainly by light, there is no need to densely install heating elements such as hot water pipes or heating wires, or to cover the heating elements with heat conductors such as metal plates, concrete, or synthetic resin, as in the conventional method. Therefore, installation is easier than with conventional snow melting devices.

[0019] In addition, if the material of the roof shingle is the same as the snow-melting member described above, the snow-melting device of the present invention can be constructed by using the roof shingle itself as the snow-melting member and arranging an LED light source on the underside of the roof shingle. For example, for a building whose roof shingle is made of polycarbonate plate-shaped members, such as a carport, the snow-melting device of the present invention can be constructed by using the roof shingle itself as the snow-melting member and arranging an LED light source on its underside. Furthermore, the snow-melting device of the present invention can also be used to melt snow on the ground, for example, by installing snow-melting members to cover the ground.

[0020] The snow melting device of the present invention can reduce running costs compared to conventional snow melting methods. Conventional snow melting methods using electric heating wires or hot water pipes generally require 80 to 300 W / m of power to melt snow on the roof or ground. 2 In contrast, the snow melting device of the present invention has a power consumption of 20 to 40 W / m as mentioned above. 2 This allows for significant reductions in power consumption. With conventional methods, heat from the heating element tends to escape into the surrounding environment through thermal conduction and convection. With this invention, in addition to the high energy conversion efficiency of the LED light source, the LED light is highly directional, allowing it to be selectively irradiated onto the snow-melting material, which is thought to result in efficient snow melting.

[0021] Furthermore, in order to increase the snow melting efficiency of the snow melting device of the present invention, a snow melting member having water permeability, water absorption or hydrophilicity can be used.

[0022] Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a snow melting device of the present invention constructed using a water-permeable snow melting member 12 and installed on a folded-plate roof. The snow melting member 12 has multiple holes 12c that penetrate from the upper surface 12a to the lower surface 12b, and water 42 generated when snow melts on the upper surface 12a passes through the holes 12c and drains to the lower surface 12b. This prevents unnecessary heating of the already melted water 42 and selectively transfers heat to the remaining snow 40, allowing for efficient snow melting while reducing running costs.

[0023] The water-permeable snow melting member 12 can be made of nonwoven fabric or the like, in addition to the example shown in Figure 2. Known water-permeable nonwoven fabrics made by various manufacturing methods, such as air-through nonwoven fabrics, spunbond nonwoven fabrics, and point-bond nonwoven fabrics, can be used as the nonwoven fabric. Alternatively, the snow melting member 12 may be made of woven fabric or knitted fabric to have water permeability.

[0024] In addition, efficient snow melting is possible by using water-absorbent or hydrophilic snow melting materials 12. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the snow melting device of the present invention installed on a folded-plate roof, similar to Figure 1, and is an example of a configuration using hydrophilic snow melting materials 12.

[0025] If the surface of the snow melting member 12 is hydrophilic, the water 42 produced by melting snow will spread and become familiar with the upper surface 12a of the snow melting member 12, increasing the surface area and promoting evaporation. This allows the area on the upper surface of the snow melting member that is no longer covered with snow to be used to remove the produced water 42. Also, if the snow melting member 12 is water-absorbent, the same effect can be achieved by the water 42 produced by melting snow soaking in and spreading out rather than remaining in place.

[0026] The hydrophilic snow melting member 12 can be made of, for example, woven or nonwoven fabric, or a plate-shaped synthetic resin, metal, or glass that has been treated to be hydrophilic. Examples of hydrophilic treatment include surface modification treatments such as corona treatment, plasma treatment, and ozone treatment, as well as the application of a hydrophilic coating agent and the lamination of a hydrophilic film. The water-absorbent snow melting member 12 can be made of, for example, woven or nonwoven fabric, or a porous material. Examples of porous materials that can be used include sponge-like synthetic resins, polymer powders sintered into sheets or plates, and porous glass or ceramics.

[0027] The water-permeable, hydrophilic, or water-absorbent snow-melting member 12 may have a multi-layer structure in which multiple sheet / plate-like members made of the various materials listed above are laminated together. For example, a water-permeable sheet and a water-absorbent sheet may be bonded together to form a snow-melting member 12 with both properties.

[0028] As described above, the present invention provides a snow melting device that is easy to install and has low running costs. Furthermore, by making the snow melting member water-permeable, hydrophilic, or water-absorbent, it is possible to promote the removal and evaporation of water produced by melting snow, thereby enabling more efficient snow melting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 10 Snow melting equipment 12 Snow melting materials 12a Top side 12b Bottom side 14 LED light source 40 Snowfall

Claims

1. A sheet-shaped or plate-shaped snow-melting member; an LED light source disposed at a predetermined distance on the underside of the snow melting member, A snow melting device characterized in that the snow melting member is heated by light irradiated from the LED light source to melt the snow accumulated on the upper surface side.

2. The snow melting device according to claim 1, wherein the snow melting member is water permeable.

3. The snow melting device according to claim 1, wherein the snow melting member has water absorption or hydrophilicity.

4. The snow melting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the predetermined distance is 50 to 300 mm.

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